Wateringbury, Kent ME18 5NS
http://www.wherememoriesmeet.com/
Another Sunday, another lazy drive into the countryside. I do love Kent, with its gently rolling hills, picturesque villages and meandering country lanes. It offers some of the best English countryside in my opinion.
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This week, Ben was tasked with finding us a cafe to visit. He knows the brief... something with personality, that's unique and has character. Something that often proves a challenge to find in the countryside.
So off we set, in search of this elusive beast.
And thus we came to Where Memories Meet in the little town of Wateringbury.
I was immediately charmed by the candy pink store front. If first impressions are anything to go by, I was in for a treat.
The cafe also doubles as an antique shop. I have to confess that I'm becoming rather partial to the "cafe-cum-something else" combination. I find that having a theme (whether its vintage clothes, antiques or teapots) helps lift standard cafe decor from ordinary to something special.
Where Memories Meet is no exception. I loved the interior, with its cute mismatched china (some of which is for sale), random ensembles of tables and chairs (I think these are for sale too), all surrounded by knick-knacks (also for sale).
The olden days theme continued to the music, which was reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s and reminded me of my mother. So many cafes forget to play music, but the sense of sound is just as important in creating a full dining experience as taste, smell and sight.
Unfortunately, there are two areas that let us down. Firstly, the selection of cakes was very limited, with the only cakey choices being Victoria Sponge and chocolate. Yes, there was other food available, but this is a cake blog, so I rate on cake.
I reluctantly selected the Victoria Sponge. It's not one I'd usually go for, as I find the ratio of icing to cake to be lacking. I just couldn't get excited by it. The taste was OK, but I wanted more icing, more moisture. Ben ordered brioche toast with jam, so I ended up spreading some of his jam over my cake just to give it some flavour.
The second let-down area? The coffee. Judging by the look on Ben's face, it wasn't good.
I do have to mention something rather unique about Where Memories Meet. If you use the bathroom, you may be startled by the deafening sound of running water. I dismissed it as being a dishwasher or washing machine emptying.
After our tea and cake we went downstairs to the basement to peruse the antiques... and discovered the source of the water sound.
There is an open, spring-fed well downstairs!
Now you don't see that every day.
CakeMyDayLondon Rating
